Heather MacDonald is an inimitable conservative journalist. Her work on such issues as policing and immigration is sharp, insightful, and often indispensable. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for her views on religion. . .

. . . While there is much I find offensive in her post, my primary contention is with her initial premise. Contrary to what she might be told again and again, she is under no obligation to respect religion. We may have a duty to tolerate religious belief and a responsibility, albeit conditional, to respect the religious believer. But there is no reason we “must respect religion.”

I respect Mac Donald and believe in showing tolerance for her atheistic beliefs. I do not, however, respect atheism; I find it to an intellectually disreputable belief-system. It would be intellectually dishonest for me to claim to hold it in esteem in an attempt to be politically correct. Better to be open about our religious disagreements than cover them in a patina of faux respect.